Chapter 37
2022 - Planning to just read straight through these chapters, as they got lots of time previously.
This chapter is about the valley of dry bones. It is a much used reference. I really can't remember what preachers preached about it.
The hand of the Lord is on Ezekiel, and in the Spirit, he is set down in this valley. No certainty so far of where it might be. God asks Ezekiel if these dry bones can live, and he answers "You know, Lord". This seems a good answer. John uses similar in Revelation several times. God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to dry bones, and tell them they will have sinew and flesh and breath, and they will live. Not that they can, but that they will. He does so. There is a rattling of bones as they reassemble in their proper places. Sinew, flesh and skin grow on them...but not breath. The breath is prophesied separately. It comes from the four corners of the world, and they breathe, and stand there a great army. It calls them "these slain". So not just dead. These were killed.
Things are explained beginning in 11. These bones are the "whole house of Israel". They say they are dried up, and their hope is lost, and they are cut off. But Ezekiel is to tell them he is bringing them back from their graves, back to the land of Israel, and put His Spirit in them. They shall live in their own land. This is post apocalyptic. The phrase about putting his Spirit in them was in Jeremiah, and has been in Ezekiel twice now. This is the third time. So this is to happen when Israel is restored. It is not about NT saints. The Holy Spirit comes into us as the earnest of our salvation, but it will be put into Israel in a different way when they are restored. With them, it is so God can fulfill His promise to them, and so they will be faithful to Him this time. It is a different promise. An OT promise to Israel.
2025 - So it occurs to me that I need to look for clues as to whether this is all a vision that Ezekiel has, or whether he, himself, physically and while "in the Spirit", is seeing real events. Remember that John in Revelation is really taken to heaven and sees what tgt will look like from that perspective. But we also see in several OT prophecies - such as in Daniel - phrases like "in the night visions" or "in a dream" or some thing like that. So if we can figure out which it is here in Ezekiel, we might be well ahead in determining whether Ezekiel is seeing literal future events - a resurrection of the Jews during tgt - or is seeing a symbolic vision - the restoration of the nation of Israel with hearts for God post-rapture.
2025 - The phrase is "he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord" and set me down in the...valley". That sounds to me like a physical move, to a real place. Now despite that language, here is the MSB note, part of it, on vs 1: "37:1-14 involves another vision. God does not change Ezekiel's location but gives him a vivid inward sense that he has been taken to a valley "full of bones". He gives three references, all here in Ezekiel, that are also visions, so we can compare. Those are Eze 1:1-3:15; 8:1-11:24; 40:1-48:35. So, in comparison, all these are pretty long, just like this one that runs from what 37-39? What are the introductory phrases to these others:
1:1-3:15: 1 In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. [Eze 1:1 ESV]. Clearly and without doubt this is a vision. It says so.
8:1-11:24: This is a little longer...and a little more problematic: 1 In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, with the elders of Judah sitting before me, the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me there. 2 Then I looked, and behold, a form that had the appearance of a man. Below what appeared to be his waist was fire, and above his waist was something like the appearance of brightness, like gleaming metal. 3 He put out the form of a hand and took me by a lock of my head, and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the gateway of the inner court that faces north, where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy. 4 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the valley. [Eze 8:1-4 ESV]. All these underlined phrases are meant to convey that Ezekiel knew these were visions. He does not say there was something that looked like a man, with fire below his waist, and he reached out his hand. It all "appeared" to be these things, but it wasn't these things literally because it was a vision. And that gets more specific in vs. 3 where he says it is vision, and then in vs 4 he compares - not contrasts but compares this - to a previous VISION he had had. So that's two strikes.
40:1-48:35: 1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me to the city. 2 In visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south. [Eze 40:1-2 ESV]. Clearly NOT a physical relocation, but a vision. And Ezekiel can tell the difference by now.
Another day I found this: 1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me to the city. 2 In visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south. [Eze 40:1-2 ESV]. Again, Ezekiel makes it clear that this is a vision, not a physical relocation.
There is nothing in Ezekiel 37 that emphasizes or even implies a vision. Ezekiel uses different language here. The word visions does not appear in chapters 37-39. What happens here in Chapter 37 is of a different quality than what we saw in those three references. I believe Ezekiel is seeing a literal future event at this time. Being "brought out by the Spirit and set down" is a translocation in both time and geography. It happened to Ezekiel here, and it happens to John in Revelation. In Revelation it says "come up here" and John physically goes to another physical place, in the future. I have now convinced myself that Ezekiel is seeing real events and will temper my interpretation of these next few chapters accordingly.
2023 - This might also be a picture of the current state of Israel, blinded by God, cursed for their national and individual sins. They are a spiritually dead nation, secular in most respects. Yet even in this state, dead, bones dried, not a hint of moisture, yet God is going to revive and restore the people, the nation of Israel.
2024 - A dry, dead nation, become so due to their long abandonment of God, and the blindness from God that resulted. Yet even this is not too much for God to overcome in order to make his promise good.
2022 - First spirit, if there is to be life (v 5), then sinew, flesh, and skin. Last of all breath. Is it not the same in the womb? Or...weren't the bones there first? Hmmm....There is significance in this order, but perhaps not a one for one analogy.
2020-It is interesting that this appears to be a resurrection. A resurrection as the church will experience at the rapture. Perhaps the church and Israel will be resurrected at the same time, the church resurrected and taken to heaven with Christ, and Israel resurrected on the earth and then these resurrected move toward Israel, on the highways made straight and flat by God himself to expedite their return - to their land and to their God. There are all those verses in the last few chapters that talked about judging between sheep and sheep - which I took to mean that Israel would be judged when they get back to Israel. And after this judging, they are to be changed and accept God as their God and they will be His people. Perhaps that follows this resurrection. If the judgement on Babylon, Assyria, Tyre, and Egypt is prequel to judgement on these same places during Trib and Great Trib and Millennial, then why wouldn't Israel have a future that is parallel to the future of the church?
2023 - MSB lumps 11-13 together, makes no comment on what this resurrection might be. Here is his comment: "This is the key to the interpretation of the vision. It is the resurrection and salvation of Israel. So...maybe he does comment. He seems to be "spiritualizing" it to mean the whole nation of Israel and not individual Israelites at all. Sure, individual Israelites will return to God, and to Zion, but that resurrection part, as I read MSB, is a nation rising from the dead. I suppose you could make a case that this is exactly what occurred in 1948. There was no nation. It was gone from the earth, and then it was there again. It did sort of resurrect as a nation from the dirt that was old Israel. Hmm...
2022 -I note that the breath that fills these fleshed out dry bones comes not from God, as did the breath of Adam, but from the four winds. This army is alive in the flesh but dead spiritually. This is deaf and blind Israel, in the days before the t/gt return to the promised land. Perhaps there will be some kind of awakening, and Jews all over the world will be called toward home. They will rise from the abjectly secular state they are in, as most of Israel is today, and be drawn toward their God. Yet even when they arrive, not all will receive spiritual life as evidenced by the indwelling Holy Spirit (vs 14). They were fleshed out, they walked, the went home, but they are not truly alive until the Holy Spirit gives them true life.
2025 - Oh my...Perhaps this IS the Israel of 1948. There was no Israel for nearly 2000 years. The "nation", not the individual people, was dead and buried. Can it come back? Can these bones live? In 1948 it did. It came back, but the breath that revived it is of the earth. They are still a secular nation, they still do not worship for the most part, they reject Christ still and they do not accept the NT or the gospel. They have a strong army, they are feared by all those around them. But they are NOT godly. The nation lives and breathes, but does not have the spirit promised to them ultimately. If I have this right, it is the strongest, best, I would even say ONLY real sign that tgt is near...at the doors, and maybe already started.
2025 - Vss 11-14 are essentially the interpretation of the vision. There is a double use of the phrase "come up out of your graves". It is plural (at least it is in English). It makes no sense to me to interpret this as symbolic rather than literal. A resurrection of all Israel from the dead. And they will go to Jerusalem. And then the sheep and goats will be separated, and then the sheep and sheep will be separated. The goats go away. I suspect the best sheep will rule and reign, but all will live in peace in the literal promised land, in the State of Israel. The church will be gone - having been resurrected at the rapture and joining Jesus in the clouds - and Israel will rise from their graves and begin their journey home, which will last throughout tgt, and they will be judged at the Pre-Millennial, sheep and goat and sheep and sheep judgment. This "works" for me this year. It ties very many things together, it unravels mystery.
Then there are the two sticks. One represents those of Joseph, represented by Ephraim. I believe this is about the northern kingdom. The other stick is Judah. God will join the two sticks, bringing back the Jews from wherever they have been scattered. Further he will change them, so that they give up their idols, and they give up their abominations and their backsliding ways. They won't defile themselves anymore. They will be one nation again. This too corresponds to the 2020 notes. Jews, not living and dead, will return to Jerusalem, and they will be the people they are supposed to be.
2024 - This verse:
21 then say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. [Eze 37:21 ESV]. How have I missed all these verses that leave no doubt that the Lost 10 are not in the least "lost". God knows where they are, and what tribes they are from, and these will all be brought home to the land. And in light of the discussion on the "resurrection" of the Jews, it might be both living and dead that come home.
This vs:
23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. [Eze 37:23 ESV]
Look closely at the order here. It is the order of NT salvation also. God saves them, God cleanses them, and they enter into relationship with God. But He does the work, He initiates. Salvation is also before cleansing. They are saved, then washed. And this is talking about all Israel if we refer back to the valley. God will keep his promise to them all. He will raise those Jews who died in their sins, and put His Spirit in them, and will be their God. (Is this right? Dead and unsaved will be brought back to life, made new in God, and saved from hell?) Or...is that valley an illustration that a cast off, really a cursed nation's survivors, where ever they may be at the end, will come back to their God and finally serve him. As a whole nation. They will be brought home, the kingdoms reunited for the first time since the days of Solomon, and God will put a King on the throne of David to rule over them. This will be Jesus Christ, at the Millennial. This is when these things will happen. A covenant will be established, that will last forever. A Temple will be established that will last forever. David will be their King, and that also will be forever. There will be no more falling away, ever, no rebellion. This will be a time of permanent perfection, and perfect relationship between God and the Chosen People.
2020-When though? If there is a resurrection of the Jews, will that be at the very beginning of tribulation? Or will it occur after Antichrist comes to power? Will it be that after he's made his dirty deal with them, they start coming home from everywhere and there are millions coming to worship God in Israel, and the Antichrist can't stand to see it, and that is when he breaks his covenant with them? Will the church still be present as the resurrected Jews come home, and then be taken out when the Antichrist is incensed and breaks his deal? The church will be out before the wrath. Will the Jews resurrect before the wrath? Hmm...I have never heard it preached or taught this way. I am sure there are a lot of problems created by looking at it this way, and I don't even know what they are, what theological questions are generated by such a view. It sure seems to tie things together though. Maybe there is some truth to it. Later...after reading 39, and reading the rest of my chapter notes, it would seem the resurrection of dead Jews would have to occur in Trib or Great Trib. And they get back to Israel before the battle with Gog and Magog, which also makes it apparent that Gog is the Antichrist. And then it all fits. Sort of.
2022 - Umm...the 2020 paragraph seems all wrong to me now. This was a vision, not a physical resurrection. That is just not in the Bible, at least I don't think so today. It is symbolic of the return during t/gt, but not a physical resurrection of "just the Jews".
But...it says "I will open your graves". How can I get comfortable saying that isn't what it means? It says it both in vss 12, 13. What happens AFTER this is done? First, after the graves are opened, they are brought to the land of Israel, they shall know that God is the Lord, God's Spirit (capitalized in ESV) will be put into them, and they will (repeated for emphasis?) know that He is God. That is all pretty sequential. Heuristically, could this happen? Absolutely. God can raise the Jews of all ages - even the driest of the dry bones - and clothe them once again in flesh, and bring them home, and bless them with His indwelling Spirit. Where else, though, do we get a hint of this taking place? The pre-Millennial judgment is of the living...hmmm...which these resurrected Jews would be. There is nothing in Ezekiel that says they are resurrected into spiritual bodies. In fact, it is pretty clear that they are flesh. Wow...Ok, I get that I am WAY out there at this point. Jews of all history - all the descendants of Abraham to whom God made the geographical promises - resurrected at some point in t/gt and literally traveling back to their promised land, and being blessed with salvation by grace and indwelling of the Holy Spirit in a very powerful way - beyond what we as Christians experience, and beginning their forever in that land. It is these that the adversary will pursue with a vengeance into the desolate places. It is these, pursued by the flood, that the earth will open and protect. These likely will be murdered by the millions, and these are the spirits underneath the throne crying out for vengeance.
I sure don't know...but I sure have a hard time thinking this rising from the grave is not a literal rising from the grave...
2022 - These verses:
24 "My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. ...
26 I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore.
27 My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
28 Then the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore." [Eze 37:24, 26-28 ESV]
David as King must refer to the Millennial reign. Pretty sure on that score.
The new covenant with Israel. I don't think this is the NT New Covenant with the church, this is a covenant for the Millennial, and the church will be raptured out before this. This new covenant here will include worship at the sanctuary that God is going to set in place for the Millennial. That is a very different kind of covenant, a different kind of worship, than we have in the church age.
That sanctuary - I read it as the Millennial Temple - is mentioned three verses in a row, and is an icon to the world that THE GOD OF ALL is with Israel for a thousand years...and forevermore!
This is where it ties to the coming description a few chapters from now of Ezekiel's Temple.
I think this all fits far too well to assume that it isn't the correct interpretation, even if I have never heard it before.
2024, March 3 - Charlie referred to this chapter in Sunday School today and I pretty disagreed with every application of it that he made. There are truly a lot of ways to look at the verse. As I listened to Charlie and thought about this chapter, it occurred to me that the bones represent the current spiritual state of Israel. Dead, dry, bone unconnected from bone. The "reanimation" of these bones is the lifting of the blindness in part that now infects Israel. It will not be a sudden thing, but there will be a rattling of spiritual interest among the Jews of the world. They will begin to assemble their ideas, their views, their place in God's plan. This growth continue as symbolized by the sinews, the muscles and so on fleshing out the Jews in the world. They will be right on the edge...and the the breath of life - spiritual life - will again be breathed into them. When they happens it won't be a few here and there coming home, it will be the whole nation, coming home to their promised land, their heritage, their place and purpose in the world. They will come home in the millions on roads that do not curve, built over built up valleys and flattened mountains. It will be a straight, easy shot to get home. I believe, after today, that this is metaphor that applies to living breathing Jews in the last days. Two verses will back me up:
24 "My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. ...
This is Jesus that will be their King,therefore this is about post-second coming. Christ on earth in the Millennial. He will be King of the living.
26 I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. [Eze 37:24, 26 ESV]. And here, God says he will "multiply them". Spirits do not multiply. Resurrected dead people are flesh, but they are like the angels, and do not multiply. So this vast army is resurrected not from physical death, but spiritual death, and as saved Jews, living in the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob they will teach no more any man his brother for they will ALL know me!
So yeah...I keep changing my mind, but today, this is how I see it.
2026 - Just a kind of summary of this year's impression as I read 37:
It says Israel will come out of their graves. That is a resurrection. If I need a proof text of a resurrection besides the rapture of the church, if I need a resurrection of what came before the church - the nation of Israel - then here it is.
They all return to the land. I have previously seen this as a reference to the Millennial. But I have also seen this only as a return of those who survive the testing of the 70th week. Maybe it is a return of all Israel? That might be far too many.
Even if a resurrection of all the dead Jews, this is right at the Millennial, because upon his return, "David" will rule them, and that happens only at the second coming - which I believe comes at the end of the 70th.